Life's a joke
by ZombieSara
Summary: Read it and find out. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

"**Alright, let's go." Boss called from the hallway. I nodded lazily, my chocolate brown bangs bobbing in and out of my vision. I had been working for the Falcone crime family for a year and a half now. Doing small jobs, occasional hits, but mostly being a bed warmer. That's a nice way of saying 'whore'. Mr. Maroni liked to keep his thugs happy. He said that they worked more eagerly after being laid. I stood up and took Mr. Maroni's right side. "Where are we going, Boss?" A dark looking thug on Sal's other side grunted, as if restating my question but in his own terms. "The cops are getting not only my money, but Chechen's and Gambol's too. That's a problem. We have to solve it. Quickly. And together, unfortunately." I smirked. "I love mob meetings." Mr. M chuckled. "Well, that makes one of us." Sal and I got along famously, which often made the other henchmen jealous, especially the one's who had been working since way before I ended up here. Mr. Maroni liked my whit and sense of humor. He liked to keep me close. Most of the guys suspected that he and I were sleeping together. But that's not true, Sal loves his wife. Mr. M's favorite limo rolled up in the drive. I held open the glass doors of the building, letting Mr. Maroni step through and onto the limo. The other thug followed, glaring at me. He snorted after looking me up and down. Ok, so I dressed a bit different than everyone else. They would never get me into those stupid little cocktail dresses. My usual duds were dark wash skinny jeans, some chucks and a t-shirt. I liked to keep it simple and age appropriate. Being only 17, it worked fine. Mr. Maroni slipped into the back of the limo, the lump of a guy following. I closed the door behind them and then took my place in the passenger's seat up by the driver. He smiled as I sat down. "Haven't seen you in a while, Julie." I shut the door and clicked in my seat belt. "Missed me, Joe?" He nodded and rolled down the window connected to the back cab. "All set, Mr. Maroni?" He called back. "All set." Joe nodded, rolled the window up and shot forward. I clenched my seat. "SHIT!" Joe laughed and picked up the speed. I shook my head. "Must you drive like a crazy person?" The limo's tire's screeched as we took a sharp turn to the left. "It's more fun this way." I sighed and closed my eyes, I hated reckless drivers. "Yeah, just lean back and keep your eyes closed." I snorted but followed his advice. **

"**JESUS!" I yelped as the limo jerked to a stop. "We're here." I put my hand over my heart, it was fluttering like a bird's wings. I wasn't afraid of gun fights, knife fights, assassination attempts or drugs. But bad driving scared me senseless. "See ya later, kid." I stumbled out of the limo. "Yeah, yeah." Mr. Maroni stepped out of the vehicle and straightened his tie. The thug began to get out but Boss stopped him. "Stay here." A grunt came for a reply. Mr. Maroni started walking towards the meeting place. I jogged up to his side. "What about protection? I don't think I'm enough." I fingered the gun in my hip hostler and then the knife that was up my sleeve. Sal chuckled. "Of course you're not. I sent five guys earlier. Y'know to scout out the location." I nodded as we entered the building. "Gosh, kid. You still got a lot to learn." My jaw clenched as we trudged down a hallway. I could hear the voices of men echoing down from the end of the hall. We entered a large white room with cinderblock walls. One long table was in the middle with Gambol and the Chechen already seated. There was an empty chair, obviously for Mr. Maroni. We were stopped in front of a metal detector. Mr. Maroni grimaced as he surrendered his gun. I bit my lip and started unloading. First my gun at the hip, then the one on my left calf. I slipped my favorite knife from my sleeve and then the three that had been concealed in my waist band. I only noticed that the room had gone silent and everyone's eyes were on me when I stepped through the machine. I caste my eyes downward and shuffled over to Mr. Maroni's other goons. The Chechen laughed boisterously. "You hire kids now?" I crossed my arms. "She's efficient."**

**Gambol was about to put his two cents in on the matter when two men came in carrying a TV. "What is this?" Boss said while gesturing to the TV. The men only nodded. The screen flashed to life and Mr. Lau's face appeared. I had only seen him once or twice but I knew he handled a good sum of Mr. Maroni's finances. "As you're all aware one of our deposits was stolen. A relatively small amount, sixty eight million." My eyes bulged, I still wasn't used to the way these people handled their money. "Who's stupid enough to steal from us?" The Chechen asked, leaning towards the TV. "Two-bit whack job, wears a cheap purple suit and make-up. He's not the problem, he's a nobody. The problem is our money being tracked by the cops." Sal said while frowning slightly. "Thanks to Mr. Maroni's well played sources, we know that police have indeed identified our banks using marked bills and are planning to seize your funds, today. And since the enthusiastic new D.A. has put all my competitors out of business, I'm your only option." Lau smirk slightly at the last bit.**

**I clenched my fists. Harvey Dent, Gotham City's new District Attorney. He'd already caused so much trouble for the underbelly of Gotham. He needed to go down, fast. "So what do you propose?" Gambol irked from the end of the table. "Moving all deposits to one secure position, not a bank." Lau retorted. "Where then?" You could tell that Gambol wasn't feeling sure of this idea. "No one can know but me. If the police were to gain leverage over one of you, everyone's money will be at stake." The smirk from Lau's face was gone now. "Who'd stop them getting to you?" The Chechen was always a little more enthusiastic about these 'get togethers' than everyone else. "I go to Hong Kong, far from Dent's jurisdiction and the Chinese will not extradite one of their own." Lau's smirk was back. "How soon can you move the money?" Boss asked, thoroughly interested now. Alright, I get that money is important but it's all these people ever talk about. I shuffled my weight from one foot to the other. "I already have. For obvious reasons I couldn't wait for your permission. Rest assured, your money is safe." Then a dark voice started to laugh from the back entrance. "Ha-ha, ha-ha, ha-ha, ha-ha. Oh, hee-hee, aha. Ha, ooh, hee, ha-ha, ha-ha." A man wearing a purple suit emerged from the shadows. His face was painted white, with black around his eyes, making them seem sunken in, the whites of his eyes broke the solid darkness. A jagged red smile was painted across his face. From the distance I could just barely make out the deformity of scars under the red. His hair was curly and brownish-blonde with just the slightest twinge of green. It hung to his shoulders. "And I thought my jokes were bad." He sneered his voice child-like but still deep. He was fascinating, I could feel the dryness of my eyes from not blinking. **

"**Gimme one reason why I shouldn't have my boy here pull your head off." Gambol gestured to one of his thugs behind him. Said thug advanced on the purple clad clown. "How 'bout a magic trick?" He pulled a pencil from seemingly no where and stabbed it into the table. "I'm going to make this pencil disappear." The thug was next to him, reaching to grab his arm. The clown grabbed the back of the thug's head and slammed him face first into the pencil. The thug's body went limp and slipped to the floor, pencil firmly lodged in his skull. I gulped. It did disappear. The clown spread his arm's wide to the place where the pencil had once been. "TA DA! It's haaa, It's gone." He took a seat and adjusted his jacket. "Oh and by the way, the suit, it wasn't cheap. You oughta know, you bought it." Gambol shot up with his fist clenched. "That's it." The Chechen held up his hand. "I want to hear proposition." The clown nodded. "Let's wind the clocks back a year. These cops and lawyers wouldn't dare cross any of you. I mean, what happened? J'ya balls drop off? Hm? You see a guy like me.." "A Freak!" Gambol interjected. Scattered chuckles sounded around the room. "Aaaaaa guy like me. Look. Listen, I know why you choose to have your little" He stopped to clear his throat. "group therapy sessions in broad daylight. I know why you're afraid to go out at night." He paused. "The Batman. See, Batman has shown Gotham your true colors, unfortunately. Dent, he's just the beginning. And as for the televisions so called 'plan'. Batman has no jurisdiction. He'll find him and make him squeal." His hands squeezed together as if he was strangling a snake. "I know the squealers when I see them and…" He pointed to the TV. Mr. Lau reached up and turned of his camera, the TV screen flickered and then went black. "What do you propose?" The Chechen asked.**

"**It's simple. We, uh, kill the Batman." Laughter sprang from the throats of the many mobsters and gang members. I stayed silent, staring at his captivating features. Our eyes met for a fraction of a second. I stopped breathing. He smirked in the littlest way and refocused his gaze on Maroni. "If it's so simple why haven't you done it already?" Mr. Maroni said, the laughter still in his eyes. The man pointed to him. "If you're good at something never do it for free." The Chechen smiled. "How much you want?" The man's finger twitched from Mr. Maroni to me. "Her." My heart skipped a beat. "Her?" Mr. Maroni said. "Go ahead." One of my fellow goons shoved me towards the make-uped man. I looked at Mr. Maroni, the man I was in love with. I knew he didn't feel the same but being able to give me up so quickly? Mr. Maroni just smiled and shooed me away. My heart shattered. The clown caught me and quickly shoved me to his side. I gasped and bit my lip, keeping the tears concealed. "Aaaand." Gambol sighed. "Of course, and?" The clown pushed me a little towards the door. "Uhhh, Half." Once again chuckles echoed through the room. Gambol shook his head. "You're crazy." The clown bowed his head. "I'm not. No, I'm not." He straightened out then. "If we don't deal with this now. Soon little uh, Gambol, here won't be able to get a nickel for his Grandma." Gambol's fists slammed onto the table and he stood. "Enough from the clown." Said clown stood and almost backed into me. I scooted more towards the door. My new boss opened one side of his jacket, revealing an arsenal of grenades, all the safety pins attached to a string in his hand. All of the men in the room stood and froze like deer in head lights. "Ah taa tu tta taaa. . Let's not **_**blow**_**" he tugged on the string softly "this out of proportion." Gambol was breathing heavily. "You think you can steal from us and just walk away?" I scooted up next to the exit door. "Yeah." The clown shuffled a little like an excited little boy. "I'm putting the word out. Five hundred grand for this clown dead. A million alive, so I can teach him some manners first." Gambol practically shouted. "Right, so. Listen, why don't you gimme a call when you want to start taking things a little more seriously." He pulled out a Joker playing card and set it on the table. "Here's my card." He played with the string of grenades. "Mm mm." I shuffled into the hallway as I saw him coming towards the door. I pressed myself up against the cold wall in the hallway. He kicked open the doors and turned towards me. He dropped the string and grabbed my arm. "Come on." A smile of victory was plastered on his face. I could barely walk. Things were happening too quickly. I had left all my weapons. I had a new boss. I had a broken heart. "Why?" I whispered. He looked back at me, smiling ear to ear. The scars stretching and becoming more gruesome. "Why ask why when how is so much more fun!" He giggled and then broke out in spine chilling laughter. **


	2. Chapter 2

And I thought Joe was a reckless driver. This man was a maniac. He had tugged me out of the building and to a white van. "Well? Get in!" He urged. I stiffly opened the passenger's side and slipped in. He plopped down into driver's seat. I looked down at my hands, they were shaking. That's odd. I couldn't feel them shaking. The van sputtered a few times and then roared to life. I looked behind me, the van was empty. Either this guy was really confident or a complete physco. I was hoping for the first option. The van rocketed out of the back alley and onto the street, swerving wildly. My chest hit the dash board, knocking the wind from me. "Soooooooooo." I turned my head. He was looking at me, not even glancing at the road. I tried catching my breath while buckling my seat belt. "What's your name, sweetheart?" I gulped. "Julie Gianni." He whistled. "I don't like that very much, I'll just call you…." He paused, removing one hand from the steering wheel to tap his chin. "Doll face." I felt heat rise to my cheeks. He smirked still not looking at the road. The van lurched to the right, tires screaming. The seat belt saved my head from smashing into the window. "What am I to call you?" I gasped. He giggled. "Polite. I like that. You're to call me Joker." I opened my mouth to reply but it came out as a scream. The van had stopped abruptly, almost flipping. "We're here." The Joker sang as he hopped out of the van. I fumbled with the seat belt and then stumbled out to follow him.

I looked around warily, I felt exhausted and the day was just beginning. We were on a gravel road surrounded by trees. Were we even in Gotham? The Joker was walking up towards a bend. "Hurry up, Doll face. We don't have all day." We? What did he mean 'we'? I mean, yes, I'm working for him. But it's not like we're partners or anything. I stopped gawking and jogged up so that I was in pace with him. He didn't look at me, he just kept walking. He was even more intriguing up close. He walked in an almost hunched manner, his steps uneven, some bigger than others. It looked awkward. But it worked for him. The path curved slightly and a ragged warehouse came into view. "Home sweet, home." He sang while skipping a few paces. As we approached I noticed how neglected the warehouse really was. The paint was pealing several layers showcasing all the coats that had been laid on. Most of the iron panels were rusted. The structure didn't look very stable, but it seemed harmless. I guess that's what you're supposed to look for in a hide out. Harmlessness. To avoid suspicion. "You don't talk much, do ya?" His voice broke me from my observation. I paused for a minute. Just how crazy was he? "I'm just a little out of it." He smiled and swung open a set of bolted metal doors. The hinges groaned in protest. He nodded. "After you." I almost smiled back, almost. He didn't seem so bad. The inside of the ware house was sort of like it's outer shell. Lanterns hung from the high ceilings, illuminating every fifteen feet or so. Smaller structures were spaced about randomly. Like a tiny city with in the building. He took the lead again.

He pointed to the shack closest to us. "That's the supply room." He jerked his chin to the one on our other side. "There's the kitchen." He continued our little tour until we were almost at the back of the warehouse. The biggest structure loomed over the other's, colossal in comparison. "That's my room." I smiled weakly. I guess I'll be staying in the 'lounge' as he had called it. He turned around to face me. "Here's the best part." He dragged me by the arm to a fairly small hut not twenty feet from his quarters. He kicked the door in and whipped me inside. "The Fun House." The Fun House consisted of a single chair in the center of the room, a lamp hanging above it. Pushed up against the far wall was a metal table, various metal instrument gleaming on it's surface. To finish it off a drain was on the floor. Realization hit me like a brick. It was a torture chamber. He laughed crazily. He had been studying my face, waiting for the panic to kick in. Panic should play soccer. My heart started pumping double time. "Why don't you sit down? You look a little sick." He taunted, pushing me towards the chair. My saliva seemed too thick to swallow. "I'm going to lay down some……..ground rules." He growled as he pushed me into the chair. My brain was stuck. 'I'm going to die.' I thought, over and over.

He didn't tie me up or restrain me. Fear worked just fine. I thought I was brave, apparently freaks can change that. He danced over to the metal table and picked up a crowbar. I was looking straight forward, my breathing sporadic. He began to circle me slowly, mimicking a shark. He held the crowbar gently, twirling it every few paces. "The rules are very basic and apply to you but not me. I have no rules. Do you know why?" He jumped in front of me, his face inches from mine. I couldn't help but notice the strangely intoxicating sent that drifted off of him. Why hadn't I noticed that before? Oh, right because my heart had just been pounded into the ground. He tapped my temple with the crowbar lightly. "Focus." He sang. "I…d-don't know why." I choked out. He burst into a laughing spree. "Because I'm The Joker!" He squealed, still giggling.

"Rule number one! You go where I go. Unless I tell you different." I could feel tears beginning to form at the corner's of my eyes. "Rule number two! Don't ask about the scars." His voice had turned from a joyous taunting tone to a deadly one. "Rule number three. Never ask me for help. I can tell Maroni pampered you. Letting you use fancy guns and only half-assing things. You need to learn how to do things on your own. The fun way." His voice was still low and gravely. He gripped the back of my neck and brought my face close to his. The crowbar clattered to the ground, the metallic ring making me wince. A knife appeared out of no where and was pressed to my jugular vein. "And don't think you won't be punished. Breaking my rules have consequences." He pressed the knife harder, cutting my skin. "Oh, Doll face. Relax. You haven't done anything to anger me. Why so serious? Smile!" He dragged the knife down, making the cut longer. I took a deep breath and smiled weakly. "That's more like it." He was suddenly across the room at the door. I let out a choked sob and clutched my neck. "Stay here." He giggled and left. Tears ran down my cheeks, I look at my hands and the blood coating them. What the hell was I supposed to do now?

I applied pressure to the cut, it wasn't that big. But, man it was bleeding like a bitch. I felt weak and hopeless. He was terrifying but amazing at the same time. I was beginning to get my breathing under check. Every exhale made the cut burn. I stood weakly, my knees wobbling. I needed to get this cut clean. I stumbled to the door. The handle was slippery under my hand. I pushed the door, expecting it to be heavy. It swung open effortlessly. Almost too easily. "Where do you think you're going?" Oh, it did open too easily. The Joker was standing there, antiseptic in hand. Before I could defend my self a fist collided with my face. "I see now that you're the type of person who learns from experience." He sneered. The force of the punch had caused me to fall on my ass. "I just got done telling you what not to do and you go ahead and try to escape?" He sounded furious, the antiseptic fell from his hand. "I wasn't trying to escape." The tears were making a second appearance. He pushed my hands away from my neck and grasped it roughly with his own. "You weren't?" He pulled me up causing me to gag and sputter. "No." The room was silent for a moment. "What did I say about smiling?" His grip on my neck tightened. I coughed and then smiled the best I could. He let go, letting me fall to the floor. "That's better." He kicked the bottle of antiseptic towards me. "That's for the cut. We wouldn't want it to get infected."

I clutched the bottle and followed him out. "You'll be staying with me." He trudged over to his 'building'. The playfulness from earlier had faded and was now replaced with a surly demeanor. He held the door open and nodded for me to go ahead. The room was completely dark, I couldn't make out anything. He flipped the lights on quickly. I only remember seeing purple and green before blacking out. He had elbowed me in the back of the neck.


	3. Chapter 3

"Wakey, wakey." I felt something poking my side. I groaned and tried to lift my head. I whimpered as my head fell back down onto a pillow. It felt like my neck had been kicked by a horse's hooves. "Oh, yeah. Sorry about that, Doll face. You were annoying me. So I, uh, punched you." Hysterical laughter filled the room. I clenched my jaw and pushed myself into a sitting position. "Atta girl." I opened my eyes. The rush of color made me dizzy. The sheets of The Joker's bed were purple but the pillow cases were a vivid green. I looked up. The Joker was sitting on the edge of the bed. "And I thought I'd have to wake you up with a kiss." He giggled playing with a knife. My eyes swept across the room, the floor was checkerboard tile, black and white. The walls were draped with billowy purple fabric. Random pieces of furniture were place around the room, all ranging in different shades of purples and greens. "Nice room." I said sarcastically. "Hurry up. We have something to take care of." He got up, still twirling the knife. I followed, still a little groggy. "Today, I'm going to teach you the proper way of killing someone." My eyes bulged. "There's a wrong way?" He giggled. "Yes, and it's your way." I bit my lip, resisting the urge to pout. What was wrong with me? I should be afraid and pissed off. The Joker was charming me. He was the viper and I was the furry little animal. His venomous eyes keeping me still when I should be running. "I'm glad you're more expressive now. You were boring yesterday." He was looking at me now. I frowned and quirked an eyebrow. He just smiled and started for the door.

"Who exactly are you going to kill?" I asked The Joker as the van drummed along the highway, back into the heart of Gotham. "I'm sure you know him. The crime lord, Gambol." I gripped the edge of the foam seat. "WHY?" He giggled. "You're so funny." My mouth was hanging open at this point. He could be totally terrifying one day and then playful the next. He really was insane. "He disrespected Boss, so we're going to take him out." A masked clown intercepted from the passenger's seat. The Joker had insisted that his clown goons drive the van while he and I were jostled around in the back. The Joker patted the clown's shoulder. "Good boy." I huffed. "So we're just going to walk in there, guns blazing?" The Joker cackled. "No, no, no, nooooo." He waggled a finger at me. "You're going to put this" He held up a black trash bag "over me and carry me in. Free, automatic entry." I was confused, and there was no way in HELL was I going to carry him. "Five hundred grand dead." He sang and leaned back in his seat. My mouth formed an 'O'. He chuckled a few times before setting his head on the head rest and closing his eyes.

We were now parked in front of a tall brick building, Gambol's place. God, we were really gonna do this. I gasped as the clowns pulled off their masks. They were attractive! I was expecting them to be….y'know…..more thug-like. The driver had sandy blonde hair that was spiked, his face pleasant. I would have thought he was cute if we weren't in this particular co-existence. The one in the passenger's seat was black with a strong looking face. The Joker giggled. "None for you, Missy. I don't want my boys having whatever Sally gave you." I blushed and opened my mouth to retaliate but he up a hand up to stop me. "Two more guys should be showing up in a few minutes." The driver said while pulling the key from the ignition. "Out, out." The Joker teased while shooing me with his hands. I yanked open the door and hopped out. I thought about slamming the car door in his face but I didn't. He was in a good mood now but there was no guarantee that he would be in a few minutes. I crossed my arms and waited for the rest of them. The Joker stepped out of the van and glanced my way. "Ohhhh, the pouty look. I like it." He smiled and advanced towards me. The driver and passenger flanked his sides. "Down boys." He growled and they stopped in their tracks. He was inches from me. "Did my teasing get your panties in a bunch?" He jabbed, licking his lips excitedly. I raised and eyebrow and jutted out my lower jaw. "Well." I started. "Uh uh uhhh, there's no time, Doll face. Time to get to work." He pivoted on his heel and laughed crazily.

I huffed angrily. I need to stay in control or I'd pay for it later. I heard the scuff of shoes on concrete behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and inspected the two more goons making there way towards our little 'pow wow'. The Joker laid down a large trash bag and then sat on top of it. "Wrap me up!" He squealed and the males got to work. When they were done The Joker looked like a gigantic black joint. He smiled as they placed a bag over his face gently. "Ready, set, heave!" He cheered as they picked him up. We all started towards the back entrance of the building. An idea sprung into my mind. "Isn't Gambol going to recognize me? From the mob meeting?" I said almost tripping in a pot hole. The Joker cackled and the plastic ruffled. "Don't flatter yourself, sweetie." I grinded my teeth. Bastard. The goons smirked and I clenched my fists. The men halted at the door, it reminded me vaguely of a funeral. I caught on quickly and pounded on the door for them.

One of Gambol's men creaked out the door. "Yeah?" The blonde thug responded. "We got the Joker's body." Gambol's man whistled and stepped out of the building. He lifted up the bag that was on the Joker's face. "Damn." He mumbled. I couldn't believe how well the Joker was pulling this off. "Alright, come on up." He turned and held open the door for our little group. Another one of Gambol's men stepped forward. "We'll take that." He said while nodding towards the Joker burrito. They carried the body ahead of us. I looked around nervously. The walls were covered in expensive looking black wallpaper with inlaid gold. The floors a dark marble. I could hear the clink of pool balls hitting each other. We turned the corner and caught site of Gambol himself along with two more men.

"Yo, Gambol. There's somebody here for you. They say they've just killed The Joker." One man said. "They brought the body." We trudged in slowly. They set the Joker on a table and Gambol circled slowly towards us. One of Gambol's men yanked off the bag covering the Joker's face. He lay there still, eyes closed. "So, dead." He stood in front of us, the Joker's body just behind him. "That's five hundred." The Joker whipped up as Gambol turned around, pressing a knife to his cheek. "How 'bout alive?" He sneered. Our men pushed Gambol's men to their knees, guns to their heads. Everyone's attention was on the Joker. He had a crazed look in his eyes. I stood in the door way. He glanced at me and then focused on Gambol. 'Today, I'm going to teach you the proper way of killing someone.' The Joker's words echoed in my mind. "You wanna know how I got these scars?" The Joker said casually, close to Gambol's ear. He took a deep breath and continued. "My father was a drinker and a fiend. And one night, he goes off crazier than usual. Mommy gets the kitchen knife to defend herself. He doesn't like that. Not. One. Bit." He licks his lips every few words and adjusts the knife so it's resting on Gambol's lips. "So, me watching, he takes the knife to her, laughing while he does it." He stares Gambol in the eyes. "He turns to me and he says 'Why so serious?'." In thoughs few words his voice had gone from it's usual playful tone to a dark and menacing one. "He comes at me with the knife 'Why so serious?'." He then slipped the knife in between Gambol's teeth. "Stick the blade in my mouth 'Let's put a smile on that face'." The knife was now tugging at the corner of Gambol's mouth. "Aaaaaaaaaaaand." He sang, playful again. He looked down at one of Gambol's thugs pleasantly. "Why so serious?" He ripped through the side of Gambol's face and said crime lord fell to the floor, now dead weight.

The Joker stood from the table and tugged the garbage bags off. "Now, our operation is small but there's a lot of potential" He looped around the table and grabbed a pool stick. "for aggressive expansion." He growled while lifting his arms. "So which of you fine gentlemen would like to join our team?" He was in front of us now. "Oh, there's only one spot right now. So, we're going to have" He broke the pool stick over his knee. "try outs." He inspected both pieces and then dropped the sharpest to the floor. Our goons let go of Gambols'. The Joker weaved through the men towards me. "Make it fast." He muttered and hooked one of my arms, dragging me down the hall. "You don't need to see that, Doll dace. You've learned enough for one day." I gulped and noticed that I was… a little turned on by his performance. I bit my lip, begging for the feeling to go away. I noticed how nice it felt to have him so close to me. The snide remarks were washed from my mind. "Dazing off is dangerous." I shook my head and realized we were at the van. The Joker cackled and patted my head. "What am I going to do with you?" I blushed.

~~~~~~Later that night at the hide out~~~~~~

I was in the lounge watching the Gotham City News when our newest recruit stepped in. He noticed me on the couch and smirked. 'Uh oh' I thought and scooted so I was pressed into a corner of the couch. He was tall and fairly muscular. He was African American and rather dark. He plopped onto the couch. "I'm Ray. What's your name?" He smiled. I smiled weakly back. "I'm D-." I stopped. I had almost said Doll face. "I'm Julie." He nodded and scooted a little closer to me. "Aren't you a little young to be working for the Joker?" I shrugged and he chuckled, slinking his arm around me. I suddenly felt awkward. Which was strange, I was so used to being with men I barely knew. Him being so close to me seemed wrong. I sighed and handed him the remote. I stood. "Not interested?" I looked back, he was frowning. "Not really." He clenched his jaw. "And why not?" I walked to the door, swinging it open. "Aren't I a little young to be having sex with you?" I smirked and stepped out, the door slamming behind me.

A familiar laugh echoed through the warehouse. The Joker was walking towards me, coming from his quarters. "I didn't know you could be so harsh, Doll face." I stopped walking, confused. "Oh, I got cameras everywhere." He grinned and slipped an arm around my waist. He led me back towards his room. "Shall we?" He licked his lips and opened the door, pulling me through. I didn't protest at all as he sat me on the couch. He flipped on the TV and sat down next to me. We watched nearly an hour of news in silence before he pulled me onto his lap. "What?" He pressed a finger to my lips. "Shhhhhhh, you'll ruin the spontaneity." My heart pounded faster. He removed his finger from my lips and cupped my face. I could feel my body heating up. Just how far was he going to take this? More importantly, how far would I let him? His eyes flicked about my face, studying my blush excitedly. His thumbs rubbed my cheeks slowly. "More like porcelain than I expected." He muttered. I gulped as he inched forward. I couldn't take it much longer. I gripped his jacket, closed my eyes and pushed my lips to his. "Mmmm." He growled. Our lips seemed to fit like puzzle pieces. Cliché fireworks exploded inside of me. This was the best kiss I had ever had. He pulled away finally. I was longing for more, maybe even tongue. His hands left my face. "Remember." He sang. "I'm crazy." He laughed manically and cradled my to him, rocking me like a baby.

His laughter had calmed down but he still held me there. I had calmed down too, realizing that it was over. The news caster then said something that caused the Joker to jump up excitedly and overall drop me to the floor. "Did ya hear that?!?? Huh, Doll face?!?!" He danced around the room as I crawled back onto the couch. "Lau's been captured!" I rubbed my now sore back, way to ruin the moment. "I told them! I told them!" He giggled. He kneeled on the floor in front of me, grabbing my knees. "Things are about to get so much more fun!"


	4. Chapter 4

I was eating a bowl of stale cheerios when the lounge door burst open, making all the occupants jump. "We're hired, boys!" The Joker cheered. He placed his hands on his hips and surveyed the room. I frowned at him. "Oh, and girl." He recovered, way too late. "We've got some work to do. So meet up at the van in an half hour." Most of the men nodded, I just ate another spoonful of my breakfast. The Joker had gotten a call early this morning. I had been poked awake, again. He had smiled at me. "Wanna talk to Sally?" He whispered, waving the phone. I blinked blearily and nodded 'no'. His smile grew and turn away. My dreams were plagued with my old Boss. I couldn't believe how long it had been since I'd thought of him. The Joker was overpowering.

We all gathered at the van as instructed, the Joker being last to arrive. "Load up." He said plainly. I was about to climb in when he caught my arm, twirling me to face him. He pressed up against me and tucked my hair behind my ears. "I want you to stay here." I pulled a face. He giggled. "Why'd you have me meet at the van then?" I said, trying to keep my voice level. He pecked my cheek quickly. "'Cause I love to watch you walk away." I gasped and he let go of me. I gritted my teeth and turned sharply to the warehouse. "Bye, bye, Doll face." He cackled as the van took off. My heart was still beating rapidly. I wasn't sure if it was from my temper or our previous closeness. I huffed more angry at myself. How could I fall out of love with one man and then in love with another so quickly?

I puttered around the hide-out for three hours, doing nothing in particular. I thought about snooping but busied myself with a shower instead. I was just pulling on a clean pair of socks when the clank of metal doors made me jump. The men were home. I quickly looked myself over in the mirror. The Joker had the boys go out to get me some clothes. They were a bit plain but they would do. I pulled nervously at the white long sleeved shirt. I had a feeling it wouldn't be white much longer. As soon as I left the Joker's room I smelt it. Sweat. Then a dragging sound followed. The Joker was skipping towards The Fun House with four men dragging a body following him. The Joker noticed me and waved me over. He opened the Fun House door and held it for the men. They were dragging a rather fat man disguised in a poorly assembled Batman costume. The Joker smiled down at the seemingly unconscious man and then gestured for me to go in. "Another day, another lesson." The Joker sang as he shut the door behind himself.

They slammed the man into the chair. The same chair where I had sat only days ago. They tied his hands behind his back and then left. Letting the Joker do his work. The Joker smiled and faced me. "Now, this is a lesson about….getting your message to others." I nodded. He giggled. "When I give you the signal, I want you to give him a smile." My face contorted in horror. He burst into a chorus of cackles. "Do as I say and you'll be fine." He said walking towards the table. He picked up a camcorder, inspected it and then flipped it open. He grabbed a bucket from underneath the table and walked over to the man. His smile was colossal, it practically overtook his face. It seemed like there was a red smile and nothing else. He poured the contents of the bucket over the man. Said man shot awake, delusional. Ice water, I concluded. The man sputtered and struggled against his binding. "Nu uh uh. There will be no escaping." The man's head turned to where the Joker was standing. His dimpled chin trembled. The Batman mask he wore shook as he shivered in fear.

The Joker poked the record button and the little red light blinked on the camcorder. "Tell them your name." The Joker started, his voice quizzical. The man gasped but complied. "Brian Douglass." The Joker giggled childishly. "Are you the real Batman?" Brian choked on his words. "No." The Joker shifted the camera in his hands. "No?" He prodded, loving every second. "No." Brian replied, terrified. "No?" The Joker said once more. "Then why do you dress up like him?" He shouted, his voice grizzly. It bounced off the stone walls. He yanked off Brian's Batman mask and jiggled it around. "Whoo hoo hoo hoo." Brian swallowed. "He's a symbol that we dont' have to be afraid of scum like you." I could tell this conversation was drawing to a horrible end. My part was coming and I was shaking like a leaf. I shuffled quietly to the table and grabbed the first knife I saw. "Yeah, you do Brian. You really do!" The Joker shouted and slapped the side of Brian's face softly. He was playing with him. "Huh? Yeah." Brian began to whimper. "Oh, sh shh shhhh." The Joker stroked Brian's face. I stepped closer to the both of them.

"So you think Batman's made Gotham a better place? Hm?" Brian just sat there, staring at the ground, whimpering like a dog. "Look at me." The Joker commanded. "LOOK AT ME!" He yelled making both Brian and I cringe. The Joker turned away from Brian and pointed the camera at himself. I stood behind Brian, tears burning my eyes. "You see this is how crazy Batman's made Gotham." The Joker walked in circles around the room. "You want order in Gotham, Batman has to take off his mask and turn himself in. Oh, and everyday he doesn't people will die" He paused. "Starting tonight. I'm a man of my word." He shook the camera and laughed like the devil. He pointed to me. I was up.

"I'm so sorry, Brian." I whispered as I drove the knife into his neck from behind. Brian's screams echoed through the room and through my mind. The Joker kept laughing. I withdrew the knife and stood in front of Brian. Tears streaming down my face. I carved one side of Brian's face as quickly as I could. The Joker kept laughing. Brian's screams turned into strangled gurgles from the amount of blood in his mouth. I bit my lip and finished the smile. I dropped the knife and tried to run from the room. "No!" The Joker screamed. He caught me and made me face Brian. "You will watch him die." My back was pressed to his chest, his arms firmly around my waist. He rested his chin on my shoulder.

We stayed there for a good ten minutes, watching Brian bleed to death. The Joker giggled every few seconds. I stood there silently. I was terrified of what I had just done. But even more terrified that I felt no guilt. I was disgusted, tired, and scared but not guilty. I had just brutally killed an innocent man and I wasn't guilty. The Joker was changing me. "Beautiful girl, beautiful work." He smirked and let me go. He opened the door. "Somebody clean him up. We've got a delivery to make." I starred at Brian for a while. His eyes were still open. I shut my own and trudged to the Joker's room.

He was waiting for me and started talking as soon as I opened the door. "Since you didn't come on our little adventure this morning. You will be leading the one tonight." I could only nod. I was bewildered. A haze seemed to make meaning blurry, I wasn't comprehending anything. He came close to me. "Hello?" He called. I only nodded again. He frowned. "Come on, Doll face. Cheer up. You won't feel a thing after the fifth." I looked him square in the eyes. A strange silence filling the room. "I doubt it will take five." I smiled. He replied with a smile of his own. "Very good! Here's what you're going to do."

It was the next day when Brian's body dropped to the Mayor's window. Gotham was going crazy and it only got worse when the Joker's home video aired on GCN. For a man with no plans everything seemed to go unnaturally smooth. I was baffled at how well his goons worked together. How well I was fitting in and carrying out orders. Guilt gradually became a non-existent emotion. The Joker was more pleased that he intended to be with me. "The video turned out great, eh? Doll face." I smirked and nodded. He slinked closer to me on the couch. "We have a few more things to take care of today." I looked at him. "What few things?" He smiled. "The Judge and the Commissioner. Then we have to swing by Harvey's party." My pupils flared with excitement. "Those are some pretty important people." He licked his lips. "I aim high and am never disappointed." I chuckled. Cocky bastard. "But….before that." My attention returned to his mesmerizing face. "How 'bout a quickie?" I gasped as he pushed me down. He straddled my hips and immediately crashed his lips down onto mine. I responded by placing one hand on the back of his neck and pulling him closer while tugging at the buttons on his vest. He traced my lips with his tongue. I obliged and opened my mouth. The Joker was the most amazing kisser I had ever been with.

He was a strange man blessed with strange talents. A hot coil of need began to constrict in my stomach as he slipped a hand up my shirt and slid his tongue to my neck. He bit down roughly, breaking the skin. "Ah!" I yelped and he giggled, sucking my wound like a vampire. He pulled and away and shrugged off his purple jacket. I helped him unbutton his vest and he threw it to the floor. I lifted my arms and he yanked my shirt off. A knife was soon added to the equation. He dragged it lightly down my chest and cut my bra off. The cold metal teasing my skin and making me gasp and squirm underneath him. He grinned like the devil. "Beautiful." He murmured and then leaned down to nip at my newly exposed flesh. I gripped the side of the couch. He giggled and hooked a thumb into my jeans. I bit my lip and nervously tugged at his collar. "Oh, you want to see more of me, eh?" I blushed and nodded rapidly. He laid the knife on my stomach. "Very well then." He stripped off his shirt and pulled off his gloves. He licked his lips as he looked at me. I gulped. "Joker?" I ask softly. "What?" I reached my hands out for him. He leaned back down and I picked up the knife. "I'm yours." I whispered into his ear while pressing the knife back into his hand. He chuckled. "You're just full of surprises." He whispered back and pulled my wrists above my head. I closed my eyes and waited to feel the knife. He trailed it all over, making a throb start in between my legs. I didn't dare looked to see if he was aroused, knowing fully that he was.

"Where to mark you?" He pondered softly. Then the searing pain of being cut aggravated my flesh just below my collar bone, where my heart is. It didn't last long because the old grandfather clock chimed. "Fuck." The Joker growled and got off of me. "Hurry! HURRY!" I jumped off the couch and ran to get new clothes. I glanced in the mirror, little red rivers of blood were running down my chest. The Joker had etched a little 'J' into my skin. I was pulling on my shirt when a piece of fabric landed on my head. "Put that on!" I inspected it quickly. A black sequined party dress. Just like the ones I had refused to wear while in the mob. I looked to the Joker. He was fully dressed and pacing. "Well?" His voice was shaking with excitement. I ripped off my clothes and pulled on a pair of skin tone stockings and slipped the dress over my head. He stared at me, his smile smug. "I don't know if I like you better in that or naked." I blushed. "Shoes?" He nodded. "Right, right. Shoes." He threw a pair of black stilettos to me. I slipped them on and followed him out. We had a big night ahead of us.

He giggled as I climbed into the passenger's seat. "What?" I said, fixing my hair in side mirror. He shook his head and sped away from the hide out. "We're going straight to Harvey's bash. The boys are gonna take care of Loeb and Cyrillo." I loaded my newly acquired silver pistol. The Joker stared at me and giggled again. "WHAT?!?" He laughed crazily and shook his head again. "Beautiful." He muttered as we pulled into the back alley of Bruce Wayne's pent house. "Truly beautiful."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Ohhhh, I've always LOVED parties!" The Joker giggled as the elevator climbed upward. We were crammed in. Seven goons, a dead body, me and The Joker. To say the least, it was a cozy ride. The harsh ding of the arrival bell tinged. My heart raced as the doors slid apart. The Joker stepped forward and shoved the dead cop down. I followed and flanked his side. "We made it." He sang and blasted a bullet towards the ceiling. A wave went through the crowd of suave dressed people. They were scared and the fun hadn't even started. The clowns formed a perimeter, shoving people back with their guns so the Joker could have room, almost a stage. "Good evening ladies and gentleman." I followed The Joker cautiously but also with an air of pride. I clutched my semi-auto nervously. From now on I would be on the Most Wanted list. The Joker plucked an entrée off a white clothed table and bit off a hasty chunk. Still chewing he said. "I only have one question. Where is Harvey Dent?" He came to a stop in the center of the clearing. I stood by an cocktail table and leaned against it. I knew it was his time. He rounded back a little, shoving the barrel of his shot gun in people's faces. He took a Champaign glass out of a brunette woman's hand and raised it high, sending most of the contains flying before downing the rest. He set the empty glass on a table. The Joker continued making his way around the circle, slapping and nudging random guests. "You know where Harvey is? You know who he is?"

I could feel the tension in the room building. These rich bastards were all waiting to be saved. I could see it in their eyes. 'Where's Batman?' They were asking the gods. I smirked when I saw one woman crying. Honestly, he hasn't even pulled out a knife yet. He grabbed a balding man at the cheeks, squishing his face together. "Do you know where I could find Harvey? I need to talk to him about something. Just something little." He let go and started around the crowd again. But not before tossing the man's head side to side. "No." He was towards the back of the room now. The atmosphere was amazing. In my eyes, he was shimmering. "You know I'll settle for his loved ones." He said in an old man's face.

He picked up another entrée and popped it into his mouth, frantically chewing. "We're not afraid of thugs like you." The old man spat. The Joker stopped in his tracks. He set his gun down on a table. "You know, you remind me of my father." He reached into his jacket, a gleaming knife making it's appearance. He grabbed the man and pressed the knife to his face. "I hated my father."

"Ok, stop." A tall brunette woman emerged from the crowd. The Joker stared at her for a few seconds and then let the man go. I slithered my way deep into the crowd. I needed to get closer to them. Scared snobs cleared a path and I was soon at an optimum viewing point. "Well, hello beautiful." He said, smacking his lips and fixing his hair. Jealousy burned with in me. Beautiful? This women was beautiful to him. I felt my jaw clench. I fondled my gun. He advanced on the woman. "You must be Harvey's squeeze." He pointed the knife at her. "And you are beautiful." He growled while circling her. The women's shoulders squeezed up to hide her neck defensively. He had called her beautiful again. One more time and she'd be more beautiful than me. Was he trying to piss me off? He came to face her again. "You look nervous. Is it the scars? You wanna know how I got 'em?"

He grabbed the back of her neck roughly. "Come here." I took a step closer to them. I felt the need to growl and rip them away from each other. This instinct goes back to prehistoric times, when women had to defend their males if they wanted to keep them. I shook my head and calmed myself, but kept my smirk ever present. We didn't want the party guests getting too comfortable. The women tried to avoid his gaze, she twisted her head helplessly. "Hey. Look at me." The Joker growled while clutching her face with the knife. "So I had a wife, beautiful, like you." God damn it. He wasn't getting anything from me. The smirk dropped from my face and I fingered the trigger of my gun. I think this woman would look a lot more beautiful with her brains splattered everywhere. "Who tells me I worry too much. Who tells me I oughta smile more. Who gambles and gets in deep with the sharks." He pauses and adjusts himself. His voice comes out more menacing to continue the story. "One day they carve her face. And we have no money for surgeries. She can't take it." His voices shivers a bit and becomes oddly sincere. "I just want to see her smile again. Hm. I just wanted her to know that I didn't care about the scars." The sadistic cringe comes back to his story and profile again. "So, I stick a razor in my mouth and do this to myself." He gestures to his face with the knife. He smiled widely.

"And you know what? She can't stand the sight of me. She leaves. Now I see the funny side. Now I'm always smiling." He raises an arm to present himself fully. The woman knees him in the stomach. He tumbles backwards chuckling. "A little fight in ya." He straightens himself out. "I like that." Out of no where the Batman appears. "Then you're gonna love me." Everything happens to quickly. Clowns rush to aid the Joker while I scurry towards the elevators. My job was to prepare an escape route. I can hear grunts and clashes from the opposite side of the room as I reach the elevator. An old man shakes his head at me. I recognized him, he's Wayne's butler. I jammed my finger into the open doors button. He continued to stare at me. "You got something to say?" I threatened. The elevator doors slid open as a gun shot sounded and glass shattered to the floor. The butler frowned. "You're much too young to be associating with such criminals." I smiled as crazily as I could. My smile was nothing compared to the Joker's. But the old man cringed and that was all I wanted. A woman's scream cut through the air and then slowly drifted. "I think someone just got pushed off a building." I giggled. The man's eyes narrowed as he continued to frown. "Why are you laughing?" He said. "Why aren't you?" I laughed wildly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Later that night at the hide out~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"That went better than I could have asked for." The Joker smiled as he stripped of his vest and tie. I sat on the bed in my pajamas, frowning. "Why the long face, sweets?" He sniggered, making fun of me. I rolled my eyes. "You know, that attitude normally wouldn't be acceptable." He plopped down into a chair, grabbing a wash cloth from the dresser. "Wet this for me." He gestures towards the bathroom. I was pissed but not that pissed to say 'no' to the Joker. I figured I could get away with a exasperated sigh. So that's what I did. He patted my butt as I walked passed him. I flicked the bathroom light on and turn on the tap. "You shouldn't be so mad. It was only to…warm up the atmosphere." I shoved the wash cloth into the water. "Right. Of course it was." I heard him sigh as I turned off the water. "You know you're the only girl I'm interested in." I walked back into the bedroom and stood in front of him. "You're only interested in teaching me how to be a physco. The sex only makes it more fun for you." He looked up at me, a smile ear to ear.

"You can't honestly say that you don't have fun." I sighed and grimaced to the wall. He grabbed my hips. "I want you to clean me up." His voice left no room for negotiation. I went to bend over to take off his make-up but he pushed my back up. "Nu-uh-uuuuh." He pointed to his lap. I blushed but then straddled him to the chair. A knife was pulled from his pocket and he slowly slid it up my back, pushing me closer to him. I blushed even more and brought the wash cloth to his face, slowly clean off the make-up. His eyes drooped shut and swished the knife lightly back and forth over my back. I could feel him getting excited. His tongue flicked across his lips frequently. I marveled over his skin, the dips and wrinkles that characterized his face. All the make-up had been smeared and was coming off easily. I saved his red smile for last. His lips pulled up into smirk. I slowly slipped the damp cloth from his cheek and over his lips. His eyes fluttered open. "Well, wasn't that lovely?" I stared at his scars, how they pulled in different directions as he talked. I smiled softly. "That's better." He patted my back and then cut through my shirt and into my skin. I gasped in pain, my face contorting. "That's even better."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Eight and Orchard. You'll find Harvey Dent there." The Joker giggled into a walkie talkie. One of the clowns had managed to hack into the Gotham Police Department radio system. The Joker then dropped the walkie talkie to the floor and smashed it with his foot. He slapped the clown on the back and smiled widely. I had to smile myself. He was infectious. I was hooked. I wasn't myself. I was what he needed me to be at any given moment. The need to please him drove me. I didn't enjoy the sex for the sex. I enjoyed it because he enjoyed it. I could kill anyone as long as he said to do so. There was no Julie Gianni. Only Doll face. The Joker advanced towards me. My heart raced. He patted the top of my head. "Time for bed, sweet cheeks. We got a parade tomorrow." I smiled and nodded briskly, trailing him to his bedroom.

"Cry baby, cry!" The Joker giggled as he slapped the cheek of a police officer who was tied to a support column. The man sobbed heavily and then I placed duck tape over his mouth. "Wonderful!" He squealed and straightened his deputy badge. He was without his make-up, a rare occasion. He looked close to normal in the police uniform. The only thing wrong was the maniacal smile and the sinister gleam in his eyes. "Now." He put an arm around my shoulders. My heart fluttered. "You're going to sit in the van and wait for us. You miss aaallllllll the action. You got that?" He said in a taunting voice. I nodded and smiled. He frowned and his forehead crinkled. I tried my best to look eager for the boring job he had just given me. He sighed and rushed out of the apartment, his goons also dressed like police men followed.

"We got Gordy!" The Joker squealed later that night at the hide out. I smiled the same smile I was always smiling now a days. I had done my job flawlessly. The police had no chance of trailing us with me at the wheel. The Joker began to dance. Something had him excited. I had a strange feeling it had nothing to do with the death of Jim Gordon. "Doll face." He sang. I was at his side in seconds. "I have a little surprise for ya." My eyes sparkled with expectation. I could feel happiness bubble inside me. Maybe he was rewarding me for all my hard work. A hard slap to the face and a quick fall to the floor wiped that thought from my mind. "I'm not very happy with you." He said, leaning over me. My eyes widened. "Why not?" H e laughed uncontrollably. "You're not turning out right." My eyes scanned his face frantically. What had I done wrong? He smiled down at me. "You had no idea, eh?" I could only stare at him in horror.

"Things have been increasingly become boring with you." I gasped. He laughed some more. "So, I'm gonna give you one more chance." My heart began to beat rapidly for all the wrong reasons I was used to. Fear cracked inside of me. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt that way. He stepped on my stomach. I winced. "I really hope you pull through, darling." He applied more pressure. I gasped. "You've become a tool. You're supposed to be my toy!" He said like the problem was totally obvious. "You're going on a little…." He paused, thinking of the right word. "…vacation." I shook my head. I opened my mouth but a gun came down on the top of my head. I was out.

The mad barking of dogs woke me. Cold had seeped into my legs. I opened my eyes to black, like I hadn't opened them at all. My hands were tied behind my back and had been for a while because my skin felt on fire. I had been leaned up against a concrete wall. "Ahhh, you're finally awake!" The Joker's voice echoed around the room that I couldn't see. It sounded filtered in, like it was coming from speakers. "I'm not really here. You're all alone." I swallowed. "Expect for the dogs, of course." A shiver of fear ran down my spine. "They were a gift from the Chechen. Pit bulls. Rather vicious." He giggled. "They're chained….for now." My eyes watered. "Why am I here?" His laughter blared from the speakers. The dogs whimpered. "Every student defies the teacher at least once. And you….haven't." I sighed. "I just did what you asked!" He groaned. "That's exactly why you're where you are." I sniffed. "It's your turn. Create something that's yours. Stop trying to please me, I already have clowns to do my work. Your job is to learn. Alter yourself. Make your name."

I wiggled against my binding. "I don't understand." Silence engulfed the room. "I'm trying to make you see." I bit my lip as the rope dug into my wrists. "See what?" He laughed. "The only sensible way to live in this world is with out rules. After breaking all the rules the consequences become inconsequential." I jerked my hands out of the rope, my skin stinging in protest. "You're going to be put through a couple of…tests." I stood creakily, I could almost hear my muscles groaning. I stayed against the wall, too afraid to explore. "Break out of your submissive little shell." The dogs were as silent as mice. The only sound was chains clinking against concrete. "Become…..a freak."


	7. Chapter 7

I had been standing in complete silence for what felt like hours. Alright, this is getting a little ridiculous. I took a shaky step forward, my arms stretched out in front of me. Curiosity surged through me with every step, the pitch black had began to bore me. My foot caught on something and I wobbled dangerously. Something metal was on the ground. I bent over slowly and groped for the object. I ran my hand over the item hesitantly. It felt like a crowbar. I pulled it up and slid it from one hand to another. What the hell was I supposed to do with a crowbar? This whole situation was beginning to piss me off. I sighed. I waved the crowbar out in front of me as I walked. I didn't feel like gaining anymore bruises at the moment.

"The first moment of truth has arrived, baby cakes." I gripped my chest as my heart pumped viciously. The Joker's voice had intruded the silence rudely and scared the shit out of me. "You mind?" I replied grumpily. He giggled. "Emotions are already returning! That's great progress!" I twirled the crowbar a few times, waiting for him to continue. "Take seven steps to your left." I gripped the crowbar and followed his instruction. I stopped on my seventh step. "Ohhhh, you listened. Bad choice." Suddenly numerous strobe lights began to go off. The dogs were in an uproar. I spotted a silver table way off to my right. Several things were laid on the top. "The dogs will be released in…..three…" My head snapped to the dogs in horror. The strobe lights creating a hideous scene of jumping pit bulls straining against their restraints, drool flying in all directions. "Two." I shot from my standing position like a bullet. I raced towards the table. The crowbar flung out of my hand from my running pace. "One." The Joker cackled.

A loud beep sounded throughout the warehouse and the dogs jerked forward. Six pit bulls were racing towards me, teeth gnashing. I practically tipped the table when I reached it. The strobe lights made it hard to identify the various weapons but I managed to pick out a set of brass spiked knuckles. Things were about to get brutal. I shoved them onto my hands. The first dog reached me seconds later. I swung down as hard as I could, dealing a fatal blow to the top of it's skull. Blood sprayed upwards and splattered my face. The Joker shrieked giddily. Another dog rounded to my side and lunged. I spun around and hit the side of it's face. Both of our weapons ripping into each other. The dog's teeth puncturing the side of my hand while my brass knuckles impaled it's jaw. A hideous whimper erupted from the dog as it flew back wards, taking a piece of my flesh with it. I cried out suddenly as a dog latched onto my right shin. It's teeth digging into the muscle. "DAMN!" I screamed as it began to gnaw my flesh. I punched down barbarously and felt the dog's neck snap underneath the force. Three down. I was panting as much as the dogs. Adrenaline coursed through me insanely. The remaining three beasts circled me slowly. They had acknowledged the death of the others and were making a team effort. I groaned as they charged all at once.

I did my best to dodge and managed to avoid one set of razor sharp teeth. The amount adrenaline flowing through me sped my reaction time up. I whipped around and slammed two of dogs together. A set of painful howls pierced the air. They both fell to the ground broken. The last dog stood across from me, it's chest heaving with it's every breath. My air intake was similar. I bit my lip in apprehension. "Come on, puppy." I growled. We circled each other cautiously. It was human against beast. I let out a savage battle cry and charged the dog. It ducked stupidly and fell victim to my punch. It's spine cracking loudly. "Bravo! Bravo!" The Joker cried childishly. I stood there, my head drooping. My injured leg shook violently. I let the knuckles slip from my hands and clang to the ground. "Well, wasn't that just peachy?" He squealed. I sniffed a few times, a river of tears streamed down my cheeks. They weren't tears of pain, they were tears of anger. "WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!" I screamed. "Ohhhhh, so so touchy." He replied tauntingly. I wiped my tears away along with the dog's blood. I clenched my jaw and hobbled away from the corpses. I dragged my right leg with all the energy I had left. "Well, good job. That was really fun! You get a nice long rest. There's a first aid kit in there…..somewhere." The Joker laughed crazily and then cut off the audio. The strobe lights slowly flickered off. I lowered myself to the ground carefully. "Bastard." I grumbled while leaning against a wall. My eyes burned with sleepiness. I didn't think I'd ever been that exhausted. I nursed my shredded and swelling hand against my chest. Luckily both my wounds had stopped bleeding. I clenched my good fist as I lost consciousness. My hand cracked loudly. The click of bone echoing around the structure. This one much less hideous then the dog's parting sounds.


	8. Chapter 8

~Chapter 2~

"Sweetheart, it's time for school." I groaned, forgetting about my damaged hand and cracking my scabs accidentally. "Get up and find the med kit." My eyes opened slowly, sleep falling from crusted lashes. "No." I pouted, still half asleep, dazed by pain. "Ha ha. Finally getting the basic concept, are we? But really, are you going to let that get infected and have your hand rot off?" I grumbled, wincing as I lifted myself up, placing all my weight on my uninjured leg. "What do you think you should do, Julie?" My head spun at the sound of my name. Julie Gianni. That was me. Well, who I used to be. I was Doll face now. That sat with my head even worse, eyes spasming painfully, nausea rolling in my stomach. "Don't call me that." I mumbled weakly. "Not Doll face either." I added quickly before he could react. "Then how am I supposed to get your attention?" The Joker asked, agitated. I rubbed my head, fingers massaging the scalp. "Just stick with the pet names for now." He giggled delightedly and the sound system clicked off.

I sighed and shuffled forward, a monstrous stiffness had settled in my chewed leg. I kept the muscles taut, too afraid to bend my knee. The pain would make me collapse. Where would he put the med kit? I paused. Where would I put the med kit? My brow furrowed, thinking deeply. I scratched at my neck, all of a sudden not liking the smoothness of skin there. I smiled softly and moved back to my place on the wall, sinking down slowly. I reached out my left hand, the cool metal box making my smile grow. He would've had me search this shit hole for hours. Why would I put myself through that torture? Opening the kit, I worked slowly, stitching myself up carefully. "Very good, toots. I'm glad you started thinking again." I rolled my eyes, keeping my mind busy with what I was going to do when I got out of this. Fantasies of buying a place of my own, going back to school and forgetting all of this distracted me from the pain that throbbed through my body with every pull of the needle. Static buzzed through the building, starting softly but quickly growing to an annoying level

"Hi, this is Barb Faynola"

"And this is Jim Mitchell. Welcome to Gotham City News at seven."

"If you're just tuning in please pay attention to the pictures on your monitor."

"These photos have just been released from the Gotham City Police Department. Three accomplices of the psychopathic murderer known as The Joker have been identified."

"Both men you see now have been captured and are currently being questioned."

"But this young girl…" Barb paused, I assumed they were magnifying on the picture. The picture of me.

"is still out there. The police do not know if she is being forced into service or is willingly carrying out heinous crimes such as: theft, kidnapping and murder."

Jim took over after an awkward pause.

"She has been recognized as Julie Gianni. Seventeen years old."

Something that resembled a sniffle sounded.

"It just breaks my heart to see someone so young mixed up with something so evil."

"Awwww, how sweet of Barb." The Joker teased. Puh-lease. "You could run away from me, y'know. Claim I forced you. Sure, you might have to spend a few years in therapy, just to convince them you're innocent but other than that, you'd be a free woman." I stayed silent, letting his words sink in. Could I really go back to a normal life? After so many drastic changes, everything happening fast and without much thought. Could I go back to a routine? An average life filled with school and caring about how I looked, who I hung out with and how much money I had? The more I thought about it, the more unappealing it became. The Joker said I'd be a free woman. That possible life didn't seem free at all. I'd be following the law again, forced to be normal and conform to society. Staying with the Joker would be the opposite but still the same. I'd be following his orders. Either way I was stuck, never truly free. Or was I?

It started out as a soft chuckle, more of a light Ha Ha really. It grew to giggling, then flat out laughter. Soon I was laughing loudly, uncontrollably. My chest heaved with for air as my laughs pushed it out forcefully. My stomach began to ache from tension, I was close to just giving up and rolling on the floor. Some people would say this is the moment I cracked, that I lost myself. I think it's more like my rebirth, I'd finally reached enlightenment. I'd found my freedom. I stood in a rush, walking purposefully and with out pain, searching for a speaker. I focused, they'd probably be in corners, easier to mount. I squealed with excitement when my reaching hands bumped right into one. I ripped it down with a crash, hands searching for wires. I don't know what compelled me to do it, but it just felt so right. Broken fuses hissed and sizzled as I pulled them from their organized layout. Long buried memories of my first kill surfaced.

I was ten, still dressed by my Mother. Small and pure looking. My Dad would tell me I was as sweet as a baby rabbit, nibbling with a little pink nose in the grass. They thought I needed more responsibility, needed to learn to be a nurturer. So they got me my supposed equivalent. A small rabbit. Just moving into my double digits I remember being confused, why would they give me something that belonged outside, an animal, when I was only ever allowed inside? I remember being angry, feeling like they were taunting me. This creature was more privileged than their precious daughter. The rabbit had to go. My delicate hands wrapped copper wire around it's neck, peeled from Mother's hair dryer. I flipped the switch and the rabbit jerked to death, no sound ever coming from it's form.

Now, years later I wrapped the wires around my own neck, immediately feeling them sear into my flesh. My jaw clenched but I kept winding, burning more and more of the innocent and young flesh. I held on as long as I could before yanking them away, flakes of my skin stuck to certain sections of the scalding hot wire. I stood in silence as my flesh cooled, not making a sound just like my rabbit.

"Joker, it's…Bunny. Come pick me up."


End file.
